Market research firm Infonetics Research today released vendor market share and preliminary analysis from its 4th quarter 2012 (4Q12) and year-end Optical Network Hardware report. (Full report will be published Feb. 27.)

ANALYST NOTE

“After ending 2012 on a flat note, things are looking up for the optical market in 2013,” notes Andrew Schmitt, principal analyst for optical at Infonetics Research. “Our conversations with equipment providers continue to trend positive, particularly in North America where 100G spending is about to ramp. The general consensus remains that an optical cycle for equipment in the core is emerging, what we call the ‘optical reboot.’”

“Meanwhile, there are positive rumbles in the EMEA region, where 2012 ended with a spending flourish and carriers are cutting dividends to plow capital into general capex,” Schmitt adds. “And we are looking forward to our visits with carriers in Beijing this spring to get a good read on the year, but the preliminary indication is it will be a huge year for 100G. China is about half of the global 40G WDM market, and 2013 will be the peak year for 40G worldwide.”

OPTICAL MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

• The global optical network hardware market rose 2% in 4Q12 from 3Q12, but was down 13% from the year-ago 4^th quarter
• For the full year 2012, total optical equipment spending was down 10% worldwide
• The SONET/SDH optical segment fared much worse, essentially dealt a death blow in 2012 as global legacy capex fell 30%
• After posting its lowest-ever optical revenue results a quarter ago, Alcatel-Lucent bounced back in 4Q12, up 29% on the tide of the EMEA capex surge; still, ALU’s WDM revenue is down from a year ago
• Ciena’s optical revenue was down sequentially and year-over-year, but grew shipments of its 40G and 100G equipment and is ramping production of a new single-carrier 100G solution
• Infinera had another strong quarter, thanks to a surge in sales of its new DTN-X OTN switching platform

100G OPTICS WEBINAR

Join Infonetics analyst Andrew Schmitt, Cisco, Cyan and Oclaro on March 5 for 100G Optics: Why Operators Are Upgrading Now, a free live webinar examining coherent 100G deployment activity to date and solutions for adding 100G to the network. Learn more or register at http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=564650&s=1&k=D516668CBFFF7CD6D45545BA350F0373.

OPTICAL HARDWARE REPORT SYNOPSIS

Infonetics’ quarterly optical hardware report provides worldwide and regional market size, market share, analysis, forecasts, and trends for metro and long haul SONET/SDH and WDM equipment, Ethernet optical ports, SONET/SDH/POS ports, and WDM ports. Companies tracked include Adtran, ADVA, Alcatel-Lucent, Ciena, Cisco, ECI Telecom, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Huawei, Infinera, NEC, Nokia Siemens Networks, Tellabs, Transmode, Tyco Telecom, ZTE, and others. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.

RELATED OPTICAL RESEARCH

• Latest Infonetics Optical research brief: http://bit.ly/132OsyX
• Godfrey Chua joins Infonetics to launch M2M and Connected World research
• OTN switching poised for breakout growth
• Optical transceiver market bolstered as 100G arrives in force
• Coherent 100G set to take over core networks, Infonetics optical survey finds
• Alcatel-Lucent named top optical vendor by carriers in Infonetics survey

UPCOMING OPTICAL RESEARCH

Download Infonetics’ market research brochure, publication calendar, events brochure, report highlights, tables of contents, and more at http://www.infonetics.com/login.

• 10G/40G/100G Optical Transceivers Market Size & Forecasts
• OTN & Packet Optical Hardware Market Share & Forecasts
• OTN, MPLS & Control Plane Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey
• ROADM Components (Worldwide Only) Market Share & Forecasts

INFONETICS OPTICAL WEBINARS

Visit https://www.infonetics.com/infonetics-events to learn more or register for Infonetics events.

• 100G Optics: Why Operators Are Upgrading Now, with Cisco, Cyan, Oclaro (Mar. 5)
• The OTN Expansion: The Next Carrier Upgrade Cycle (Sponsorships available)
• All About Edge P-OTS (Sponsorships available)
• The Roadmap for the ROADM Network Expansion (Sponsorships available)

TO BUY REPORTS, CONTACT:

N. America (West), Asia, Latin America: Larry Howard, larry@infonetics.com, +1 408-583-3335

N. America (East), Texas, Midwest: Scott Coyne, scott@infonetics.com, +1 408-583-3395

Europe, Middle East, Africa: George Stojsavljevic, george@infonetics.com, +44 755-488-1623

Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

ABOUT INFONETICS

Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete effectively. View Infonetics’ About Us slides at http://bit.ly/QUrbrV.

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